Victorian Architecture – Where Culture Meet Elegance

The term Victorian architecture refers to a number of styles of architecture, which was primarily used during the Victorian period. These architectural styles were quite popular during the period of mid 1837 to the beginning of 1901. This period marked the rule of Queen Victoria and was named after her.

The Victorian era of architecture, was marked by a number of styles, such as Renaissance Revival, Neo-Grec, British Arts and Crafts movement, Italianate, Gothic Revival, Jacobethan, Neoclassicism, Industrial architecture, Painted ladies, Queen Anne, Stick-Eastlake, Romanesque Revival, as well as Second Empire.

There have also been Folk as well as Shingle Style Victorian Houses. As it is, the names of the architectural styles, apart from their adaptations had varied between the countries. Several homes merged the elements of various styles and therefore are not easily discernible as one particular style. In the United States, highly decorated houses have often been addressed to as gingerbread houses.

In the United States, the South End of the city of Boston has been recognized as the oldest, as well as the largest Victorian neighborhood of the country. Old Louisville in Kentucky is also believed to be one of the largest Victorian neighborhood of America.

Apart from that, Richmond, Virginia is also home to a number of large Victorian neighborhoods, with the Fan and Church Hill, being the most prominent. Church Hill enjoys the distinction of being a place where Patrick Henry had given his famous speech at the historic Saint John’s church.

The Distillery District of Toronto is home to the largest as well as the best preserved collection of industrial architecture of the Victorian-era in North America. Apart from that, Cabbage town has been the largest as well as the most continuous Victorian style residential area of North America. The other Victorian neighborhoods of Toronto include Annex, Corktown, Park dale, as well as Rosedale.

The Old West End neighborhood in Toledo, Ohio has been recognized as the one having the biggest collection of the late Victorian as well as Edwardian architectural homes of the United States. Carroll Avenue of Los Angeles contains the city’s highest concentration of homes of Victorian style.

There is something really fascinating about the Victorian era and almost everything related to this period, continues to fascinate us to this date, especially Victorian architecture.